Falling Azure
by Hope Meijer
Summary: Anzu is dying...can Yami save her or will he leave her during her time of need? YamixAnzu COMPLETE
1. Bring Me To Life

FALLING AZURE (re-formatted version)

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Okay, let me explain...

This is a collection of songfics to all the songs I like by Evanescence, including tracks not released on Fallen. If you want to hear some of the songs (for example Away From Me) then e-mail me.

They ramble a bit, but come on, this is pointless fluff! It's supposed to ramble! Hope you enjoy and understand after the little explanation...Read and review, please!!!

NOTE TO ALL PREVIOUS REVIEWERS: since have enforced that rule about not having notes as individual chapters, I had to start all over again. I'm really sorry, so please could you review again??? I love you all!

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BRING ME TO LIFE

Yami sat in his hikari's bedroom and stared out the window. Anzu had just walked home with Yugi, and as he watched she moved away from the doorway where she had been talking to Sugoroku and started walking back to her house. The wind had got up, and whipped around her hair, causing the straight brown locks to fly around her face. He studied her as she brushed the stray strands away and carried on walking.

"Yami?" He turned round to see the small form of Yugi standing in the doorway.

"Aibou...I was just thinking..."

Yugi grinned at his spirit's feeling of need to defend himself. He walked over to the semi-transparent pharaoh and followed his gaze. " You don't need to explain," he smiled. "I know how you feel about her."

Yami's head shot up. "How??"

"Whenever we are around her, you go quiet. And I can read your thoughts, don't forget."

"But not when I keep them private."

"You don't usually." Yugi started laughing as Yami turned an interesting shade of red. He had never seen the pharaoh blush before. "I'll leave you to think."

**How can you see into my eyes like open doors?**

**Leading you down into my core,**

**Where I've become so numb without a soul,**

**My spirit sleeping somewhere cold,**

**Until you find it there and lead it back home...**

Yami's thoughts turned back to the times when Anzu had kept him company. She had always managed to read his thoughts and emotions; as if his eyes were open doors she had just walked through. She had some power that enabled her to see Yami even when in spirit form. The Millennium Puzzle was a mystery, a labyrinth of memories, which Yami had yet to discover. Anzu reminded him of someone in his past, he knew, but that was another memory yet to be unlocked from the deep, dark corners of his mind. One thing had stayed in his mind – if Shadi had the power to read people's minds by entering them and reading their soul room, could he not unlock the memories for Yami?

His soul did not belong here. This was the future, a place Yami was not comfortable with even if Anzu was here. His soul was still in Ancient Egypt, where he should be too. Japan was cold compared to the warmth of Egypt, mentally as well as physically to Yami. For once in his life, he found himself feeling slightly homesick.

**Wake me up inside,**

**Wake me up inside,**

**Call my name and save me from the dark...**

If only Anzu knew...his feelings for her. He had grown to respect and admire her, and with that came the inevitable warm, fuzzy feeling inside when she smiled at him. Although he doubted it was a suitable emotion for a Pharaoh to be feeling.

He wished Anzu could help him, the same way she had said she wanted to. He wished it was as simple as calling his name, saving him from the dark void of helplessness that was swallowing him like the Shadow Realm would a victim.

**Bid my blood to run before I come undone,**

**Save me from the nothing I have become...**

He had been the Pharaoh. A man of grandeur. Of power. Now he was nothing. And he hated it. Of course the others knew about it. Isis Ishtar had shown him some 'clips' of his life in Egypt, but still not enough to aid his memory.

**Now that I know what I'm without,**

**You can't just leave me,**

**Breathe into me and make me real,**

**Bring me to life...**

He was without love. Love, the all-empowering emotion that allowed one man to feel on top of the world and in the deepest, darkest corner he could find at the same time. He knew who he wanted love from, but would she return the feeling? He was just a shadow unless he possessed Yugi's body...he needed life. To be brought to life.

**Frozen inside without your touch, without your love,**

**Darling only you are the life among the dead...**

He was the cold-hearted mysterious stranger that possessed Yugi to give him confidence and courage. At least, that was how everyone viewed him. But had anyone got to know him as well as Yugi and Anzu were trying? Anyone could become cold-hearted or frozen inside without love, without the gentle touch of a lover.

**All this time I can't believe I couldn't see,**

**Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me,**

**I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems,**

**Got to open my eyes to everything...**

There was a photo of the whole gang on Yugi's dresser that had been taken during the summer, and every one of them was smiling or laughing. Ryou was there as well, the Millennium Ring glinting in the sunlight, and behind him the shadowy figure of Yami Bakura could be seen. Yami himself was standing between Yugi and Anzu, and she was looking at him smiling. None of the others could understand who she was looking at; only if someone looked closely enough could they see the two yamis.

He realised the whole time he had been blind. His need for love and desire to gain it had blinded him to the fact there was one girl who was close enough to giving it to him. The cold centre of the Millennium Puzzle was unattractive and usually dark, but Anzu was his metaphorical ray of light. She had been in front of him all along. The thousands of years he had been locked inside the Puzzle had blinkered him, and he now knew he had to open his eyes to everything if he was to enjoy and maybe even cherish the time he had here.

**Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul,**

**Don't let me die here, there must be something more,**

**Bring me to life...**

Before Yugi, Yami had no thoughts, no voice, and definitely had no idea about his soul. He didn't want to tell anyone, but his fear of the Shadow Realm was the only thing that kept him in one place. If he locked himself away again, Bakura could easily take the Puzzle and banish him to the Shadow Realm. If he stayed here, he was more likely to be able to protect himself and Yugi, knowing he had friends who would do anything to help him. He certainly did not want to die in a foreign world, totally eluding him – there must be something more to it than first glance. He would find it one day.

Yami turned back to the window. Anzu had long gone, but he could still see her, the memory fresh in his mind. Words left his lips unbidden, and only Yami would know who they were directed at.

"Bring me to life..."

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	2. Away From Me

Author's Note

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers...but I kinda had to delete the story when said you're not allowed author's notes as individual chapters...and I got a flame so I wasn't too sad about having it deleted...

Each songfic is not related to any of the others, if you're thinking along those lines! I got a request to carry on, so I'm sorry if I disappoint you. They are only in either Yami or Anzu's point of view, with maybe a little fluff if they are together, not on their own. This one is Away From Me, one of the lesser-known songs by Evanescence, but my favourite out of all of them!

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AWAY FROM ME

**I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll...**

Anzu Mazaki lay in her hospital bed and stared at the grey/white tiles of the ceiling. Sure, everybody's life took its toll on him or her at some point, but hers more than anyone's now.

**I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds...**

'Perfect' being sarcastic. The smile was her mask; her front to her friends. They wanted cheerful Anzu, they got her. No one had really got to know the real Anzu...all her fears...her deadly disease. All they saw was the positive side of her.

She loved dancing. She had plans to study dance in New York. But they were just plans. And plans could be broken.

**But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to,**

**Lost all faith in the things I have achieved,**

**And I...**

The nurses and doctors came in and out, cheery smiles plastered on their faces. Anzu knew they were lying when they said she would be all right. They always had to do 'one more test'.

Everything she had achieved had gone to waste. She knew she had cancer...there was no point them denying it. Her father's side of the family all had it. In which case, she was going to die.

**I've woken now, to find myself,**

**In the shadows of all I have created...**

She was a great believer in friendship and loyalty, and she knew the others were as well. They had formed a close bond, but she couldn't help but feel she was being pushed into the shadows by her friends – she was one girl among many boys.

**I'm longing to be lost in you...**

**(Away from this place I have made)...**

**Won't you take me away from me?**

Lost wasn't quite the way she would put it, but Anzu had felt a strong attraction to Yami Yugi, or Bel um Fal to use his Egyptian name. The Pharaoh – King of Games. She would give anything to be noticed by him.

She had, effectively, made this little niche she had backed herself into, and Yami or his lighter half, Yugi, would be the only one she would come close to trusting her secret to. If only it were as simple as Yami taking her away from herself. From her disease-ridden and dying body.

**Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins,**

**I look into myself but my own heart has been changed...**

Crawling was about the only thing she could do right now – her strength had drained slowly from her. She wanted solace...looking into herself no good. The cancer of her heart had changed it, and it was now a foreign organ in her body.

**I can't go on like this,**

**I loathe all I've become...**

She was a shadow of her former self. No longer the joyous, bouncy, positive Anzu, she had become weak, pale, contemplative and thin. She didn't want to stay here, go on like this if she only had a few months left.

**Lost in a dying world I reach for something more,**

**I have grown so weary of this lie I live...**

Her world was dying around her, and she reached for something...anything to give her hope. Yami would give her strength to go on – his quiet encouragement and mysterious words instilling strength in her. But he would never know.

If she carried on like the bubbly girl she once was, she knew she would be living a lie. She wanted someone to understand her and be with her until she breathed her last. Which was soon, if she was to understand the furtive glances the doctors cast at her while discussing her latest test results, when they thought she wasn't looking.

"Anzu?"

She was woken from her reverie to find Yami Yugi standing in the doorway of her room. Why was he here?

"Yami...I didn't expect anyone would come and see me..."

The former pharaoh moved forwards and sat on the edge of her bed. " When you didn't come to school Yugi became worried and rang your parents. They told him you were in hospital, quite ill. Everyone sent their best wishes and will come at the earliest chance they get."

Anzu smiled. "Thank you."

Yami's look became concerned. "Do you know what is wrong? By the looks on the doctors' faces, it seems quite serious."

Anzu looked at her hands. She wasn't quite sure whether she should tell him. He wouldn't care, would he? He was the King of Games. He could do better than her, she was sure. "Have you heard of cancer, Yami?" she asked quietly, and closed her eyes as she felt a tear roll down her face.

"I have heard of it. Yugi explained to me that it is a deadly disease. Apparently it killed his mother."

Anzu nodded. "Yes, he told me about that."

"Why are you telling me this?" He placed a hand underneath her chin and gently pushed her head up so she was facing him. He was shocked to see the tears in her eyes. "What is wrong?"

"I have cancer of the heart, Yami. It's genetic. I don't know how long I have to live. The doctors don't want to tell me until they get all my test results back." Another tear rolled down her face, and Yami brushed it away.

Suddenly she felt his arms wrap round her, and she found herself crying into Yami's chest. "I don't want to die, Yami. I don't want this life. I want to be normal, healthy, not stuck in some hospital bed wasting away," she sobbed. His arms tightened around her, and she now knew the meaning of being lost in someone. Having their arms round you, being surrounded by their friendship...and even love if she dared think about it that way.

"Take me away from me," she whispered.

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Author's Note

Hope you liked! Next one will be Haunted, but I will only post it if I get...mmm...let's see...five? Ten reviews? Get reviewing!!!


	3. Going Under

Author's Note

FINE!!! I GIVE IN!!! People kept bugging me about this, asking what happens, so I'm going to write it as a story in songfics. So now you'll get to know what happens to Anzu, lucky people.

Um...Haunted got moved, so if you want to read it, go to my profile page and read it from there.

This one is Going Under – we get to find out a bit about Anzu's home life. Has anyone watched the episode where she says 'The one night I get a decent bed I can't get to sleep'? Well this is kinda inspired by that.

Thanks to my reviewers: Kitty, Racegirl, TeaYami, Angels, Demons and Plushies, PAWS, Yami Yuugi Lover AKA Kiyo, Dragon Faere, Kaibasgurl87, Aleilisth...

Dragon Faere: Gonna follow this girl's advice, and so My Immortal will be the conclusion. Will Anzu die? Or will Yami be able to save her??? Hmm...

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GOING UNDER

Anzu stared out of the window in her hospital room. No one had come to visit her since Yami, and that was three days ago. She had nothing to do but sit and read the books a young nurse had lent her. Not even her 'parents' had come in.

Parents. The word seemed redundant to her. Her mother had died about three years ago, and her dad had remarried – to a witch. Anzu hated her stepmother with a passion. The woman seemed to take sadistic pleasure out of Anzu's suffering; especially when she found out the girl had cancer. When at home, Anzu had been forced to share her room with her stepsister, Rebeka. Beka, being older, had taken the bed, and Anzu made to sleep on the floor.

Her father wasn't much better. She had expected her surviving blood parent to back her up, but since his business had broken and he was struggling with unemployment, she had had to go out and get a job for herself. Her father spent most nights either drunk in front of the television or fast asleep in his bed, her stepmother clearing everything up round him and her stepsister was always out with her friends.

So friends were very important to Anzu. People scorned her for making a big deal out of friendship, but it was her only source of comfort, support and strength. If only people got to know her.

**Now I will tell you what I've done for you,**

**Fifty thousand tears I've cried...**

Anzu's tears were out of pity for her father and herself; their family had fallen apart. She had hoped to help them out – save up to go to New York, study dance...make a name for herself and a bit of money and she would have sent it home. But now she only had a few months left, and her dream was shattered. Just like her family would be after she died.

**Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you,**

**But you still won't hear me...**

She had screamed at him, deceived her stepmother for him and even bled for him (cuts from the shards of broken glass and bottles she cleared up), but still he took no notice of her.

**Don't want your hand this time; I'll save myself,**

**Maybe I'll wake up for once...**

All the times she had looked to him for help – he had been her saviour when she was a child. But now she didn't need his hand. In her dreamworld he was still a loving father. In reality, she had become vastly independent and no longer needed a knight in shining armour to rescue her – she would fight to the end.

**Not tormented daily; defeated by you,**

**Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom,**

**I'm dying again...**

Every day she would be tormented, beaten down by her stepmother, stepsister or father. And just when she thought she could sink no lower in their eyes, they would make her feel as if she was dying over and over again, and no one cared...

**I'm going under,**

**Drowning in you,**

**Falling forever,**

**I've got to break through...**

**I'm going under...**

She was being smothered by them. They didn't love her – they wanted to hide her. She had to break through their grip on her, and apparently the only way she had been granted was death.

**Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies,**

**So I don't know what's real and what's not...**

Her stepmother and stepsister would lie to her about things. Little things at first, like where some of her stuff had gone, and some of her mother's old things. Then they started lying about her friends. Like if one of them called to tell her about a meeting up somewhere, she wouldn't get the message. Her friends would think she was rejecting them...and she would be left alone again. She now found it difficult to tell whether they were actually telling her the truth – if they told her anything.

**Always confusing the thoughts in my head,**

**So I can't trust myself any more,**

**I'm dying again...**

The thoughts she had weren't pretty sometimes. Especially if it was something her stepmother had told her. She couldn't trust herself to tell anyone about herself any more. Not even Yugi and Yami. She didn't want to risk breaking their friendship.

**She was dying again, but this time not just emotionally.**

**So go on and scream,**

**Scream at me, I'm so far away...**

A bitter smile crossed the brunette's face as she brushed a stray tear away, watching the rain fall from the darkened grey sky. They could scream at her all they wanted. She was distancing herself from them. Not that it was difficult, or anything.

**I won't be broken again,**

**I've got to breathe, I can't keep going under...**

She would not be moulded and broken to their will and way of living. Taking a deep breath, she slid back down the covers in her bed and closed her eyes.

She was being pulled under by the cancer. She was going under. Six feet under.

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Author's Note

This isn't the best one I've done, but never mind; I'll see what you think. I need about 20 reviews before I'll update again...next one is...um...hey, I have an idea! Tell me which one you think should be next in your reviews, and if you can think of a way to link it, tell me that as well. Preferably in Yami's POV though...I need to balance it out. Love y'all!


	4. Awake And Dreaming

Author's Note

Woo! Finally got twenty reviews!!!

Bad me...This isn't an Evanescence song, but one by Finger Eleven. I saw them at an Evanescence concert, so it counts, right? o.O But anyway...it's kinda vital to the plot, so I have to use it .

Thanks to my reviewers: Chelsea, Peirin, Tarranna...

(chomps away at the cookie PAWS gave her) Love you all!

NOTE: sorry if the layout has changed...since have got that new edit thingy, it won't let me have my dividers, and won't let me put asterisks round song lyrics, so they'll be in bold from now on

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AWAKE AND DREAMING

She was sleeping. And that was how he wanted it for the moment. He had mixed emotions, and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to endanger her with his unknown past and enemies. But his heart was telling him otherwise. And so was Yugi.

**I can't lose anything,**

**So what's left is mine,**

**And I win this time...**

He was in love with Anzu. That was clear to him. And according to Yugi, the feelings were returned, so unofficially she was his. This time he had not won in a duel, but in matters of the heart. But if the doctors were to be believed, he only had a few months before he would lose. For the first time in his life.

**Consolation day,**

**I'll make up a way,**

**I'll know now just what to say...**

He would tell her straight out. But his heart ached when he remembered her shortened life. His resolve strengthened. He would make up a way to save her. It wasn't unheard of in Egypt.

He knew now just what to say to her. In both cases.

**I'll get away from you,**

**Wait and I'll be begging,**

**I'll pull you down...**

His heart and mind were at war. His head yelled at him to get away from her – to protect her; keep her safe. But his heart screamed that he would eventually be begging to go back to her. His heart drowned out his head.

**I saw it all again,**

**Fading memory became clear to me...**

This all felt surreal to him, yet familiar. It was as if it had happened in Egypt during his reign as Pharaoh, and the faded memory locked deep inside his mind was surfacing.

**I try but I can't say,**

**That I'm yours for good,**

**Support me, you said you would...**

He hated to see it, but he would have to repeat the memory – play out the destiny he had been fated to follow. He would be Anzu's for good, but he couldn't say it. He didn't want to risk breaking her heart. She would support his decision much easier if she didn't know the whole truth.

**Awake and dreaming,**

**But I'm only sleeping...**

Silently he got up and bent over her, placing one last kiss on her forehead before he turned away. He felt like he was dreaming, but he was wide-awake.

He knew what he had to do. There was a flash of light, and Yugi stood there, looking bemused. Holding the Millennium Puzzle in one hand, he glanced at Anzu who was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of Yami's heart-breaking decision.

**Awake and dreaming,**

**But I'm only sleeping...**

Sadly, Yugi turned and started walking away. The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was now sleeping. He was gone again. Yugi pined for his companion – his brother – as much as he felt for Anzu; what she would feel when she found out about Yami.

**Awake,**

**Awake...**

Yugi felt as if he was awake and dreaming.

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Author's Note

Bit short...But it introduces an interesting twist, ne? Do not fear, YamixAnzu shippers...there is more to come; some happy and some sad. No character death yet...I'm still deciding. I'm a sucker for happy endings, but I want to write something different. Never mind – we'll see. Just please keep reading!

Demands are high this time; 35 reviews and I'll write and upload Solitude (back to Evanescence, so you can't kill me...)

Thanks! .


	5. Solitude

Author's Note

o.O No one wants to give me 35 reviews! (cries) Anyway, I thought I'd better update just in case any of you lost interest...That would be bad...(nods absently)

Okay, this time it's Solitude from random points of view – I think I have Yugi, Yami, Anzu and a nurse in here...

Thanks to my reviewers: Genki no Yuuki, Ms Undrstood, Skipper, Tarranna, TitansFan545, Racegirl, Mya Starnight, Nessie Cat...

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SOLITUDE

Yugi wandered down the street, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He broke the news to Anzu the day before; where Yami had gone, and she hadn't taken it well. The doctors had kicked him out for 'upsetting their patient' and he wouldn't be allowed to go back in for about a week.

**How many times have you told me you love her?**

**As many times as I've wanted to tell you the truth...**

Yami had admitted to Yugi (finally) his feelings for Anzu, but the great Pharaoh was not sure what to do about it, and Yugi refused to do it for him. He hadn't said it in so many words, but Yugi could feel the love emanating from deep within the Puzzle whenever they were around Anzu.

**How long have I stood here beside you?**

**I live through you,**

**You looked through me...**

For years now Yami had been part of Yugi, standing by each other and living through each other, looking out of each other's eyes when acceptable. They had forged a close bond that could not be broken, and Yugi now felt alone without his companion.  
  
**Ooh, Solitude,**

**Still with me is only you,**

**Ooh, Solitude,**

**I can't stay away from you...**

It was not fair. How could Yami do this to himself? In confining himself to solitude, he had broken the heart of one and lost the faith of another. He had thought that in staying away from Anzu he could protect her, but it had only made her more vulnerable. And Yugi could not even tell him that...he was too far-gone. Locked again in his eternal sleep until someone found the way to awaken him once again. Only this time, Yugi suspected he would not be so willing to be lifted out of his slumber. Self-punishment and such.  
  
**How many times have I done this to myself?**

**How long will it take before I see?**

_The figure lay in the dark room, lit only by a burning torch. The figure was mounted on what at first looked like an altar, but was really a bare sarcophagus. Another part of the so-called 'self-punishment'. It had happened again, and he wanted to prevent it from happening again in the future. It was his fault. Every time, it was his fault._

**When will this hole in my heart be mended?  
**

**Who now is left alone but me?**

_In hiding himself away from Anzu, he had ripped a hole in his heart, and it would take a lot to fix it. But he was not able to worry about that, seeing as he was now in total solitude; both body and mind. The only person alone was him._  
  
**Ooh, Solitude,**

**Forever me and forever you,**

**Ooh, Solitude,**

**Only you, only true...**

The nurse touched the girl's hand. There was no response, and every day she was getting worse. Ever since the young boy had told her some news, her condition deteriorated. She was not even trying to fight it; merely letting it take her over. The nurse was not quite sure what had been said, but from what she had gathered from standing in the doorway, listening to the quiet exchange, was that someone had left and was not coming back. Obviously someone the girl loved dearly, judging by her reaction.

**Everyone leaves me stranded,**

**Forgotten, abandoned, left behind,**

**I can't stay here another night...**

Tears rolled down Anzu's face. It was no use. She could go on no longer. Yami had gone, her parents and sister weren't going to come and see her any time soon – why should they? She was nothing but a mere burden. Her death would be a relief. Yugi had been banned from seeing her for at least a week for upsetting her – not his fault, she knew. And the others had been too busy. Only popping in a couple of times, but always with a sombre look on their faces. They weren't helping.

She didn't want to stay. The drugs were only prolonging her short, miserable life, and she refused to have chemotherapy. Things should be a lot simpler. She just wanted to die; get it over with.  
  
**Your secret admirer,**

**Who could it be?**

Yugi knew who it was. So why couldn't Yami have seen? It wasn't as if Anzu was being subtle (not that she didn't try – it was embarrassing to be seen blushing every time Yami appeared).  
  
**Ooh, Can't you see?**

**All along it was me,**

**How can you be so blind,**

**As to see right through me?**

But he hadn't seen it, and according to Yugi, had locked himself away because he thought his feelings were not reciprocated. He had been blind. Anzu shook her head bitterly. How could she believe in love at first sight if love was so glaringly blind? Anyway, it had been love at first sound for her – she had fallen in love with his voice, when both times she had met him, she had either been blindfolded or surrendering to the darkness as the effects of chloroform washed over her.  
  
**And Ooh, Solitude,**

**Still with me is only you,**

**Ooh, Solitude,**

**I can't stay away from you...**

She turned over and closed her eyes tightly. Perhaps sleep would come tonight, and allow her a few blissful hours of ignorance.  
  
**Ooh, Solitude,**

**Forever me and forever you,**

**Ooh, Solitude,**

**Only you, only true...**

_Their love would be forever, albeit hidden forever. Hidden in their hearts as they lay on their respective 'beds', separated. And hidden in the bitter heart of Yugi Mutou, who would never reveal it._

_The torch burned out, leaving the room in total darkness. The only thing the pharaoh's mind could take comfort in now was solitude. His solitude._

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Author's Note

OMG...I've never written anything so scary or depressing...what do you think? I know it's a bit short, but hey. The next should be Missing, and then Imaginary. There are still quite a few chapters to go (do not fear), and I'll start Missing straight away so you don't have long to wait. The last chapter will be My Immortal, and I have the ending planned out. It will be a twist...so don't think it's going to be expected!

Please review, I want to get more than before...Otherwise I'll stop writing, and it'll be all you fault for not reviewing! (Evil laugh) Seriously, I'm getting more reviews for my others at the moment, so this will either be put on hold or stopped altogether if I don't get lots of reviews. I'm not putting a limit, seeing as no one pays attention to them, but just see how many I have for my other stories so far. That might give you an idea.

Love you all!


	6. Missing

Author's Note

You'll have to forgive me, but I'm on a roll, so I have to keep updating! This sort of goes hand-in-hand with the previous chapter really, but the next will have a plotline to it!

Thanks to my reviewers: Ancient Pharaoh, Egyptian Rose, Angels-Sing-Sorrow...

* * *

MISSING

**Please, please forgive me,**

**But I won't be home again.**

_It would take a long time for Anzu to forgive him for leaving her, but he wouldn't be there to forgive. _

**Maybe someday you'll wake up,**

**And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:**

**"Isn't something missing?"**

Anzu wondered if he would ever wake up. He would be alone in the room deep within the Puzzle, and alone, he would have to realise that she was not there. Because of him. She would be missing.  
  
**You won't cry for my absence, I know -**

**You forgot me long ago.**

He couldn't; he was gone. It was almost like he had forgotten her, in his self-pity and desperation to protect her.

**Am I that unimportant...?**

**Am I so insignificant...?**

**Isn't something missing?**

**Isn't someone missing me?**

Anzu allowed herself some self-pity. She was dying, and no one was there with her. It was like she was unimportant; insignificant to everyone.

"Anzu!"

Her head shot up, and she came face to face with Yugi.

"Yugi! What are you doing here? You're not allowed!"

He pouted. "I know. But I have an idea how to get Yami back."

Her eyebrows raised, yet she refused to get her hopes up. "Oh?"

He held out the Puzzle to her. "You have to go in there." At her confused look, he grinned. "It's hard to explain, but if you go in the Puzzle and find him, you should be able to bring him back. I will be there, because I'm wearing it, so I have a connection."

"But...how?"

"I can't explain now...if I get caught in here I'll never be allowed back here again."

Tentatively, Anzu reached out to touch the smooth surface of the golden Puzzle. She traced the image of the Eye with her fingers, when suddenly a beam of light shot out and engulfed her. The last thing she saw was Yugi's encouraging face before darkness fell.  
  
**Even though I'm the sacrifice,**

**You won't try for me, not now.**

It was dark. And cold.

"Anzu?" A small translucent figure appeared next to her, and she looked down and smiled. "I'll help you find him."

She need not say anything. She knew he would understand. "I can't take too long, Yugi. It could make me worse."

"I know. But we'll find him before that." Carefully skirting the subject.

"Thank you."

She wondered where they would start. Yami's room would have to be somewhere deep inside the labyrinth of corridors and trap rooms. And they would have to get past them to find him. Only Yugi could help; Yami couldn't – not now.

**Though I'd die to know you love me,**

**I'm all alone,**

**Isn't someone missing me?**

"Isn't he missing me?" she wondered aloud.

"Yes, but he's doing it to protect you."

"From what?" she asked bitterly. "From death?" She started into Yami's soul room, and the little Yugi followed her. "It's too late for that."

_A pair of violet eyes watched the two cross the soul room to the other side, where another doorway was concealed in the shadows. It knew there was a trap lying in wait, and slid forwards, hidden, to activate it before they got there._

**Please, please forgive me,**

**But I won't be home again.**

Anzu thought she saw movement, but dismissed it as she moved forwards. There was a loud rumble, and she paused. Yugi looked up at her, worriedly. Suddenly four sharp rocks plummeted down from the ceiling high above, and smashed on the ground where she would have been standing if she had reached the door. Anzu screamed, and crouched on the floor, trying to shield herself from the rest of the falling debris.

Five minutes later, all was settled. Anzu looked up; Yugi was trying to catch her attention, but failing as his hand kept passing right through her.

"The door's open. Whatever set that off didn't want us to get hurt, and opened it for us. It certainly wasn't me...and it's couldn't have been you."

"Something is trying to help us?" Anzu asked incredulously, standing up and brushing herself off. "It's not Yami – is it?"

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know."

_He wanted to call out to them, but he had no voice. He was merely a form of matter. Forgive him. He won't be home...by her side...again.  
_

**I know what you do to yourself,**

**Shudder deep and cry out:**

**"Isn't something missing?**

**Isn't someone missing me?"**

The next room was very similar to the previous; but this time lit well with burning torches lining the walls. There were two doors either side, but there was one with a floor brick missing in front of it.

"Hey, look, something's missing..." Anzu walked slowly towards the hole where the brick had obviously been.

Yugi was studying the area above the doorway, and when movement caught his attention, he looked back at Anzu who was crouched by the hole, gingerly putting her hand into it, trying to see if there was a hidden lever or something. "Anzu..." he warned.

Suddenly..."Look out!"

Anzu flattened herself onto the floor as two knives swung down from above the door, and Yugi watched as their curving arc slowly diminished.  
  
**And if I bleed, I'll bleed,**

**Knowing you don't care.**

Anzu clutched her right shoulder with her left hand as blood began to pour from the cut. It wasn't deep, but just enough to bleed.

"You're hurt!" Yugi exclaimed.

She shook her head. "It's all right. Not much more than a scratch; it just caught a few blood vessels or something." Eyeing the still swaying knives as she stood up again, she shook her head. "And they're supposed to be helping us?"

_The figure winced. Oops._

The walk down the next corridor was uneventful, and the door at the end was already slightly open as if in apology. The feeling of being watched was getting stronger, and Anzu was aware that the presence was definitely 'friendly'.

There was an altar in the middle of the round room, and the lights lining the walls sprang to life as Anzu and Yugi entered. Anzu gasped.

"He's..."

**And if I sleep just to dream of you,**

**And wake without you there,**

**Isn't something missing?**

**Isn't something...**

Yugi looked at the altar in dismay, finishing Anzu's sentence off for her sadly.

"Missing."

* * *

Author's Note

Okay, so we're getting somewhere, right?

I've just got some more Evanescence tracks from their demos and original EPs, so I'm really happy! If anyone wants to hear the tracks on here that you don't know, send me an e-mail and I'll see what I can do.

REVIEW!!! PLEASE!!!


	7. Imaginary

Author's Note

I have been away for three weeks, but I'm back again! Yes, I know I renamed it...my band is no longer called Whispers of Insanity (It's Nyteshade, but you didn't need to know that...) and I decided to go for a slightly more mystical title. But hey.

Reviewers: Black-Caracal, Anzu12, Egyptian Rose, SummersDeath, Hysterik-Angel, Black-wings91, Nova14...

If you think I've messed around with the lyrics, I haven't – it's the version of Imaginary that's on Origin, not Fallen.

* * *

IMAGINARY

**Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming...**

Anzu closed her eyes tightly. It would not have made any difference if she was looking where she was falling; it was pitch black and gave her the feeling that she was floating in midair. But she knew she was still falling; the floor had given way as she had approached the empty altar and her screams followed her the whole way down.

**Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights...**

But if she stopped screaming she would have to face silence, and right at that moment her screams were the only thing telling her she was alive in the dark oblivion.

**Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming...**

She wanted to be back in her hospital bed, even though she hated the clean, disinfectant smell that surrounded her and assaulted her senses when she was there. Sleep was her comfort; it allowed her to escape from the terrifying reality of her short future ahead of her.

**The goddess of imaginary light...**

Slowly but surely there was light approaching her. She wondered for a moment how long she had been falling, but that thought was quickly discarded as she realised the light was forming round a figure of black, and she was falling straight towards them. Her screams ceased, and all she could think of was how she would rather it ended this way than being drawn out. The light was getting larger, and soon she was out of the black and surrounded by blinding light. She felt something soft wrap itself round her and slow her fall, lightly settling her on the ground before she closed her eyes tightly against the brightness. She swore she felt fingers lightly brushing her cheek, but when she put her hand up she felt nothing but air.

**In my field of paper flowers...**

The whiteness slowly subsided and she could see she was in a field of some sort. There were clumps of exotic looking flowers around her, and when she reached out to touch one, the petal ripped, being of a substance no thicker than tissue paper, and highly delicate.

**And candy clouds of lullaby,**

**I lie inside myself for hours,**

**And watch my purple sky fly over me...**

Overhead, cumulus clouds slowly drifted across the sky, and Anzu felt herself starting to doze. She could lie there for hours, just watching the candy-like clouds and the purple-tinged sky.

**I linger in the doorway,**

**Of alarm clocks screaming,**

**Monsters calling my name...**

Suddenly it changed. There was a high-pitched scream, and the atmosphere morphed. The flowers wilted and grew into sparse, dying trees, their branches warped and twisted. The sky became darker, turning green, whilst the clouds grew thinner and scudded along, chasing each other over a stormy heaven in between flashes of lightning. The trees were monsters, their thin branches whipping about in the wind that had risen from nowhere.

**Let me stay,**

**Where the wind will whisper to me,**

**And the raindrops as they're falling tell a story...**

At once everything was wet; large drops of rain pelted down and soaked through her nightgown to her skin. Her name was whispered, and over the thunder, she could hear the rain thudding constantly on the ground and trees, forming beats, forming words; forming a story that told of a broken heart and a failing quest for truth and union. Tears of despair rolled down her face, mingling with the raindrops already dripping down her face until they were a salty mixture. She could see no way out of the god-forsaken land she seemed to have found, which changed climates almost as fast as her recent mood swings. A loud sob erupted from her; heart-breaking anguish as she sank to her knees, wishing Yugi's spirit or even the friendly presence was there with her to help her find Yami. She was going to die here, alone and broken, rather than in hospital with her friends around her, surrounded by their love and companionship until her last breath.

She didn't feel the warmth wrap itself around her again until she was nearly unconscious; she was just aware of comfort and the knowledge that she would be safe before she slipped into her own oblivion.

**If you need the leave the world you live in,**

**Lay your head down and rest a while...**

_When he set her down, they were in another room, this time similar to the one she had been in with the bare altar. He would leave her there to rest; he had known she would not be able to find her way out of the strange world. It was set to be the last in the line of defences before reaching the true room that would lead to the resting place of the Pharaoh. Anzu and Yugi had taken the shortest route; others had spent ages wandering round the catacomb insides of the puzzle. Whereas they followed their instincts, Anzu had unknowingly followed her heart. Yugi had been unable to follow her; his spirit could not enter the circle of darkness and had been rejected back to his soul room. He would have to sit and wait and hope, whilst Anzu made the rest of the journey alone._

**Though you may not remember dreaming,**

**Something waits for you to breathe again...**

_Satisfied she would come to any harm, he retreated into the shadows. He would return to his body and wait for her to awaken and carry on with her search._

She gasped, and sat upright. She was cold and wet, and she shivered as she slowly pushed herself to her feet. It seemed she was in another stone room, lit by more burning torches, and she wondered where the strange world had gone. Water dripped from her hair, and rolled down from her eyelashes to her chin, giving the impression she was still crying. Her hands shook, and she stumbled to an entrance hidden by more bricks, but with a glowing Millennium Eye revealing its whereabouts.

"Was I imagining...?"

* * *

Author's Note

Yay! I'm really pleased with that one...short, yes, but detailed. And so the plot unfolds...

This should be finished in about 4 more chapters...Field Of Innocence, Anything For You, My Immortal and Breathe No More. It has an ending that I will explain to you about at the end of Anything For You.

Thanks to all my reviewers, and please keep reviewing! All this feedback is wonderful, and it's really inspiring!


	8. Anything For You

Author's Note

Another update! Woo! I gave up with Field Of Innocence...It just wasn't working. So this will be finished in 3 chapters, not 4. Again, if you want to hear the songs that you don't know, send me an e-mail to or IM me on Y!IM hope-kiyo-shin or MSN

Reviewers: Kayzie, Black-wings91, Destiny1029, Monkey-fairy, Hysterik-Angel, Norestar-angel, ShiningFriendshipII, Himesama16, and the last reviewer didn't leave their name...I don't know if you reviewed or not before...Who are you??? And please don't cry!

* * *

ANYTHING FOR YOU

She groaned as she moved through the doorway, ignoring the stakes that were hidden either side and above, having faith in the shadowy presence to have made sure it would not be activated when she walked through. Sure enough, she came through unharmed.

She stood in a massive hall of what seemed to be a palace, decorated with gold and white drapings and material. There were thousands of drawings on the walls, each depicting a story that Anzu could not read. There was also an image of what looked like Yami as the Pharaoh and Seto Kaiba as the High Priest with their respective duel monsters. Mats lined the walls, and tapestries draped over windows kept the room darker than usual. Plants stood in various positions round the hall, while Anzu's eyes were drawn to the centre of the back of the hall, where a massive throne sat, nestled between two pillars. The Millennium Eye was carved on the top of the back of the throne, and there were intricate drawings of monsters from the cards round the rest of the seat.

As she approached, she felt an overwhelming sense of love and joy, and knew that she was close to him. But there were no doorways out of the hall; when she looked back, the one she had just entered through had disappeared. She was trapped in the room, shivering, and still had to find a way to get to Yami before anything happened to her, or she gave in from complete exhaustion.

**I'd give anything to give me to you,**

**Can you forget the world that you thought you knew?**

_She was coming. But he couldn't help her; she had to figure the last bit out for herself. He was hers from the beginning. Both had known it, yet only subconsciously. They had been drawn together by a twist of fate; the same twist of fate that had torn his love from him when he was young and properly alive. _

_When this was all over, she would have to forget the world she knew. Even if she did survive, her world would be turned upside down. Friendships would change; some would stay the same. The new would become the old and there would be a new 'new'. Love would finally be a part of her – yet at a cost. But that was how it worked in life. Everything cost something; the more valuable the object, the higher the cost._

**If you want me,**

**Come and find me...**

He would be waiting for her, but their reunion would be bittersweet. He didn't want her to come and find him. She would be better off staying as far away from him as possible. He didn't want anything to do with her death. It would break his heart enough if she died – he couldn't bear to be at her deathbed, no matter how much he loved her.

**Nothing's stopping you so please release me...**

_He wished she would let him go; let him shut himself away from all that was dangerous and threatening to her. But she was here now, and all he could do was guide her and give her safe passage. _

The throne was calling her. She realized her breaths were short as she made her way to the platform on which it sat, so she took deep breaths trying to calm herself. The adrenaline had long faded from her system, and the dull ache had settled itself back in her chest, screaming at her to stop and rest, but she pressed on, determined to find him before...

Before anything happened.

The throne was cool to the touch, and she found her hand sliding over the arms as she turned herself and sat down in it, relieved to finally rest somewhere. She allowed her body to sink down, as she closed her eyes, intending to rest for a moment. She would probably doze off, but she would wake up.

Wouldn't she?

A sudden jolt awoke her. There was a loud grating noise, and she felt the throne twisting as it slowly sank through the floor. She clutched onto the arms of the seat as she descended into darkness. She could hear her heart beating loudly, and grimaced, knowing it wasn't doing any good for her.

Minutes later, the throne twisted a few more times and came to a stop. Anzu squinted against the darkness, and could make out another altar in the middle of the room.

**I'll believe,**

**All your lies,**

**Just pretend you love me...**

Suddenly everything mattered. Yami, her friends, her short life, hell, even her family. For once she just wanted to be loved, no matter what they were like. She would ignore all the lies she had heard over the years just for even a minute of pure love; she may never get to experience it.

**Make believe,**

**Close your eyes,**

**I'll be anything for you...**

She would be anything they wanted; just for a small favour in return. It meant so much to her; so much it hurt sometimes. She used to cry herself to sleep when she was young, believing she would never find the true love she dreamed of. She had that love within reach right now, but would she be able to get to it before it was torn – ripped – away from her?

There was a single torch on the far wall, and it magically lit itself as she approached the altar, hardly daring to look just in case it was a dream and she would wake up soon...

But it wasn't, and she didn't. Her outstretched arm touched the edge of the altar, and as her eyes adjusted she could make out the form of a figure...

And the figure was Yami. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she felt like crying. All this way, and here he was.

**Have you left to make me feel anymore?**

**There's only you, and everyday I need more...**

Kneeling beside the low altar, she touched his face; his closed eyes - his lips. He was pale and waxen, yet his skin was warm. The only sign that he was only sleeping, as opposed to dead as Anzu had feared when she first laid eyes on him. She wished he hadn't left – each passing day left her with the realisation that she needed Yami more and more.

**If you want me,**

**Come and find me,**

**I'll do anything you say, just tell me...**

How would she wake him up? She wanted him to be with her, she wanted his company and his presence when she left the physical realm. She knew he didn't want to be there – somehow she could sense it – and that he would blame himself for her death, but she still needed him.

A tear rolled down her face and fell onto Yami's cheek, where it lay glittering like a jewel in the faint flickering torchlight. She bent down, still unsure, and hesitantly pressed her lips to his. They were soft and inviting, and suddenly she let out a sob and laid her head on his chest, flinging her arms round him.

**Anything for you...**

He was breathing; she could hear his heart still beating and feel the rise and fall of his chest, lulling her. She was so soothed being near his aura she didn't realise when he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. A low moan escaped his lips, and she sat up, the realisation still not quite penetrating her sleepy mind.

"Anzu..."

"Yami?"

Slowly he sat up, looking down at her, his violet and crimson eyes full of emotions. Silently, he wrapped his arms round her, and pulled her close to him. Still kneeling down, she was able to lay her head on his lap, and he buried his face in her hair, taking in her peachy scent.

"Why?"

He knew immediately what she was talking about. The reason behind him leaving...

"I couldn't bear...to see you hurt. I wanted to protect you."

"But you made it worse – I need you. I can't face this alone. Please..."

She lifted her head, and stared into his eyes, her own crystal blue orbs full of tears. He pulled her up and onto the altar until she was sitting beside him, and she was able to lose herself in his tight embrace.

**I'll become your earth and say...**

"I'll be here for you. I'm sorry – I only thought of myself...I didn't realise your feelings..."

She buried her face in his chest, and he rested his face in the crook of her neck. He wanted to stay there forever, but he knew they didn't have much time.

"We need to get you back into the hospital," he told her, his voice muffled. Slowly, they broke apart, but he kept a tight grip on her arms, realising her fatigue.

She shook her head lightly, claiming, "I'm fine," but when she stood up her legs gave way and he caught her, lifting her up and placing her gently on the altar.

"No you're not," he murmured, looking down on her. His face was full of concern, his tone gentle, and she let her eyes close slowly in the knowledge that he would not leave her again.

* * *

The flash of light that had just blinded her subsided, and she opened her eyes, squinting against the stark whiteness in front of her. She let out a small groan and shifted onto her side, her body screaming in protest. She felt like she had run a marathon, and knew her time was close. She would probably hold out for a few hours, maybe a day.

"Anzu?"

She glanced up to the figure hovering worriedly above her. "Yu...gi..."

"Are you all right?"

She gave him a watery attempt at a smile.

"Ah...wrong thing to say...But you look so pale..."

"I know...where's Yami?"

Yugi allowed himself a small grin as he sat down at her bedside. "Awake and raring to go."

"Not away from me, I hope."

"Never." The deeper voice roused her, and tears of relief flooded her eyes as she saw the one she loved with her soul smiling down at her.

**Forever never die...**

"Stay tonight," she whispered. She felt him take her hand in his, the warmth closing round her until she felt as if she were drowning in his love.

"I'll stay forever."

**I'll be everything you need...**

A sigh escaped her lips, and Yami looked at the heart monitor worriedly. Her heart was still beating strongly, but her vitals were lower than normal.

"Maybe I should get the nurse..."

"No, I just want to be with you..." she replied, her eyes closed.

Yami took a deep breath, and moved to sit on the bed next to her. He leant down, and lightly brushed his lips against hers.

Anzu's eyes opened, and her heart skipped a beat as she lightly breathed out. He moved away, but still close to her, and looked into her eyes. "I'm here for you," he told her earnestly. She tilted her head to let him know she understood, and a tear spilled over and ran down her cheek despite her smile. She placed a hand on his cheek and the other on his shoulder, sitting up slightly. Sliding his arms around her petite waist, he pulled her to him and kissed the tear away.

"I love you, Anzu."

"I love you too..." Her heart swelled at the utterance of those four words. The words she had been dreaming about all her life. Finally she would be able to experience the one thing she had never experienced before...and would never feel again.

He pressed his lips to hers again, relishing the softness of them. She kissed back, and when he slid his tongue across her lower lip she gasped, allowing his entrance. His tongue slipped past her teeth and she was drowning in the sensations he was giving her.

His arms tightened round her waist, one hand sliding up her back and stroking the soft hair at the nape of her neck whilst she wrapped both her arms round his neck and slid her hands into his hair. Warmth spread from her stomach outwards, and her body felt tingly.

When they broke the kiss for much needed air, Anzu found herself crying again.

"I want this to last forever," she told Yami. He pulled her to his chest.

"This will last forever, Anzu. Even in the spirit world, our love will last forever..."

She leant back and pulled him down with her. "Hold me, please..." Tears were still spilling over, and from the frightened look on her face he could tell she knew something was going to happen. He reached over and switched the light off so he wouldn't have to see the pain on her face and she wouldn't have to see his worry.

* * *

When the night nurse entered the dark room to check on her patient, she discovered two bodies on the bed. Anzu was curled up in the boy's embrace, clinging to him as if he were her lifeline, and he was holding her tightly as if he would never let her go.

With a small smile on her face, she respectfully closed the door on them and walked off to check another patient.

If she had stayed a moment longer, she would have heard the boy murmur something, barely above a whisper. It would have tugged at her heart, and the three words he uttered would have been a shining beacon of the couple's love for each other. But the words were only heard by the person they were meant for, even if she were asleep. They penetrated her subconscious and would remain there until her dying day, proving that she would never be alone.

"Anything for you..."

* * *

Author's Note

I nearly cried when I wrote this!!! A bit graphic towards the end...but at least it didn't go any further than a good snog and a cuddle, ne? Lol.

Anyway, I need to explain about the next two chapters. My Immortal will follow this one, and it will be a bittersweet ending...I'll give hints that she might stay alive, or that she could die. BUT and I mean BUT, Breathe No More will go after My Immortal, and ONLY those who don't mind TRAGIC endings can read it. Yes, TRAGIC. I.E. DEATH. I HAVE WARNED YOU. There will be another note at the end of My Immortal.

Please review! Otherwise I won't do the final chapters...


	9. My Immortal

Author's Note

I am so sorry...I haven't managed to update in ages. But I've had too much going on at school...I'm suffering from mild depression, and it's affecting my inspiration (i.e. I have none). Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and thanks for 'coming along for the ride' so to speak!

Reviewers: Norestarangel, Ray1, Moon Struck Sea, Red Rose Yuki, Black-wings91, RoseGoddess874, Dreams Of Two, Himesama16, SummersDeath...

I hope you all enjoy this last chapter for Falling Azure...thanks to all who put me on their favourites and watch list!

I'm sorry if the whole cancer-thing isn't very realistic; I haven't had much time to research into it, and I don't see it as a vital part of the story to sit there and explain it all. I know some of you may object and think I'm heartless, but I have lost some family to cancer, and spending any time looking into it would have made my depression worse. Please accept my apologies in advance.

Dedication: To one of my friends who had cancer but has now recovered.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is the end for those who don't like tragedy. There is an optional additional ending called Breathe No More coming soon for those who don't mind it, and it just follows on from this chapter. So please, if you hate tragedy, don't read on when I update. I don't want to make you cry and flame me!

* * *

MY IMMORTAL

The rain was falling once again, and the girl stood in the darkness of her room watching the water run down the windowpane in front of her. It was such a simple scientific thing that had always seemed to have a romantic side to her – the water would evaporate from water sources, and then the water vapour in the clouds would gradually become too heavy and fall over land. Then the surface water would evaporate, effectively restarting the never-ending cycle. As she gazed outside, she wondered what it would be like to be part of a never-ending cycle. The rain was 'reborn' in a sense – what would happen to her when she died? Would her 'soul' die with her? Go to another place, such as heaven, or another 'dimension' that sustained pure souls? Stay on earth? Or would she actually be reborn – reincarnated as someone else? She took a breath and let it out slowly. It was one of those notions that were usually scoffed at, but it kept her and other romantics wondering.

**I'm so tired of being here...**

She wished it would end now. She hardly had any strength left, and she had only managed to get herself up and struggle over to the window after about 15 minutes of moving, then stopping, then moving again. Her legs were getting tired of holding her up as she stood without assistance by the sill, yet her intense desire to see the outside world kept her in the same spot. Who knew, she could be dead by tomorrow, and she would regret not being able to see the beauty that was nature one more time. Her tiredness was a sure sign of the end, and if she was going to go, she wanted to now.

**Suppressed by all of my childish fears,**

**And if you have to leave,**

**I wish that you would just leave...**

Yami had left that morning, promising to come back that afternoon, and she felt quite glad that he had allowed her some alone time. When she was with him, all rational thought disappeared, and she needed time to think. The others had quickly popped in to see her at midday, but their false smiles and words of encouragement had done nothing for her, and for once she found herself wishing they would leave her. Their obvious discomfort soon won through, and they had left none the wiser as to how long it would take for her to get better – another of her lies to keep their pity from pouring on her and drowning her.

**Because your presence still lingers here,**

**And it won't leave me alone...**

She could still feel Yami in the room with her as if he stood by her side, his essence all around and refusing to leave her, even if he himself was not actually there.

**These wounds won't seem to heal,**

**This pain is just too real...**

Yami was nowhere to be seen, despite it being early evening. His fervent promise of 'this afternoon' sealed with a light kiss on the lips had been broken, and she felt another shard of despair pierce her heart.

**There's just too much that time cannot erase...**

He walked briskly down the sodden street, hoping she hadn't given up on him. One hand gripped the umbrella whilst the other was shoved deep inside his pocket, the only sound being the rain around him hitting the surface of the umbrella and his feet slapping against the pavement as he traced the route to the hospital almost on auto-pilot, immersed in his thoughts of Anzu and the time he'd known her. Even if she did leave this world, he knew that her memory would forever live on in the hearts of her friends. She could never be forgotten – she had done too much for everyone in the community, and it was too precious for time to erase.

**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears...**

The night he had spent at the hospital, holding her as she cried herself to sleep, would be one of his most treasured memories. She had bared her soul to him; revealing all her deepest and darkest secrets, and he knew that even if, by a miracle, she remained on this earth for longer than the predicted 'death day' she would never regret anything she told him. He had wiped away her tears and embraced her, assuring her that he would never reveal them to anyone else and that he would always be hers.

**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears,**

**And I've held your hand through all of these years...**

She had been a god-send; an angel that had stood by him, holding his hand while he fought their collective fears, but he had never realised it until she had been faced with death from a disease (as opposed to those countless times where she had faced imminent death from Kaiba's Death-T, or Bakura's role-playing game).

**But you still have all of me...**

**She had given herself to him, and he to her.**

**You used to captivate me,**

**By your resonating light...**

Her thoughts were interrupted as arms were wrapped around her waist and a cold face buried itself in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her. He had approached so silently, and she knew it was part of the reason she loved him. He wasn't always there, but she knew that he would arrive the instant she needed him; just suddenly appearing as if he had been by her side the whole time.

He slipped a necklace around her throat, and fastened it carefully, looking down into her eyes when she turned her head to look questioningly at him, her hand grasping it and feeling the shape of it.

"An ankh," he explained, kissing her gently. "A protection charm; supposed to contain magic. It represents eternal life." She closed her eyes and turned back to the window.

"Thank you," she whispered.

His mysteriousness had intrigued her, and his confidence and ability to protect, going against the usual stereotype for a yami had captivated her, whilst his affection and protectiveness for his hikari; his light had assured her that he was fighting for good, and not following the same path as Yami Bakura and Malik.

**But now I'm bound by the life you left behind,**

**Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams,**

**Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me...**

She smelt of lilies, the faint perfume filling his senses and he pulled her back against him. No words were spoken – none were needed. They knew exactly what each was thinking, and that they needed to treasure every moment left together. Her face was always on his mind, haunting his dreams. They had once been pleasant, but her impending death had turned them to nightmares and he no longer looked forward to the nights, where he would be with her in his imagination, holding her and kissing her, but instead dreaded sleep because of his fear that the nightmares would come true.

Her voice was soothing to him, the knowledge that she was there for him, rooting for him allowing him to rest assured, but the declaration of love between them had chased away his sanity and logic, and he revelled in their moments together where he could escape reality and just stand or lie in their own little world, oblivious to the rest outside.

They had not been standing there long before there was a quiet knock on the door, and they both turned to face a young doctor. He stood in the doorway, his starched white lab coat and officious attitude alerting Yami to the fact that there was something important to be said. Anzu broke away from his embrace and hesitantly stepped towards the doctor, her azure eyes conveying conflicting emotions; hope and despair, understanding and fear...

"May I speak to Miss Mazaki alone?" came the man's low voice, and Yami reluctantly nodded, moving as if to go out the room. Anzu placed an arm out in front of him, and shook her head.

"Please, I want him here with me. Whatever you have to say will be said in front of both of us."

The doctor acquiesced, and indicated for Anzu to get back onto her bed. With help from Yami, she slowly and carefully made her way towards it, settling herself back under the sheets as the doctor stood at the end of the bed. Yami perched on the edge beside her, his large hand encasing her own slim one and reassuring her.

"I have some news that I think you would like to hear...Your cancer – it's gone into remission. We hope it's permanent."

There was silence for a moment as both Yami and Anzu allowed the news to sink in. It opened up a whole new set of opportunities, and she felt as if she had suddenly been given a second chance at life with Yami.

"It may be to early to tell, but it's still a possibility. We shall run some more tests just to check, but in a few weeks we think you should have regained your strength, and will be allowed to go home. We ask that if you feel any pain, discomfort, or anything unusual, you contact us again." He looked down at some files he held in his hand, and suddenly frowned. Her heart stopped as if it knew something was wrong, but when he shook his head and looked back at her, she nodded dumbly, and felt Yami squeeze her hand. A quick glance at him showed that he, too, was shocked, and she saw a new spark of hope in his eyes. Her head spun with the possibilities ahead of her, and she suddenly felt more alive than she had ever done before. She had fought the cancer as hard as she could, and it had fought back even harder, but she had pulled through.

The doctor cleared his throat, and quietly stepped away from the bed, moving towards the door. "I will send a nurse to check on you later, Miss Mazaki. I expect you and the young man need some time to process this." He gave her a knowing smile, and left.

Neither moved for several minutes, simply staring into space, their blank eyes giving no sign of the speed at which their minds were working, trying to pierce the veil of shock that had settled over them. Yami moved his hand up her arm and over her shoulders, and suddenly she was in his arms, crying tears of joy, and kissing him for all she was worth. His usually serious crimson eyes crinkled up at the sides as he smiled a genuine smile of relief, and held her as if there was no tomorrow.

**I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone,**

**And though you're still with me,**

**I've been alone all along...**

He had nearly lost her, and was thankful that he hadn't experienced that yet – she was his life – the reason he still lived. He had sealed himself in the Puzzle, and only her love brought him back – without it he would still be gone.

And even though he was with her, he knew that she had been alone all along, even with her friends around her. But she would be alone no more. He would be there for her, and she knew that.

"I feel like I'm immortal," she whispered into his chest, clutching him tightly. He smiled, running a hand through her silky hair and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The rain outside hadn't ceased, and the sky had grown darker, but she knew that she would be able to see the world when it stopped raining. Everything would be fresh and clean, symbolising her new chance at life. Her chance to start again, differently or the same, however she chose.

"You are immortal," Yami murmured, and she pulled back to look into his eyes, humour adding a sparkle to them that she hadn't seen before.

"How do you mean?" she replied, moving her arms until they were wrapped around his neck, and kissing him quickly on the lips. He responded by trapping her in his arms, and unable to move she had no choice but to allow him to deepen the kiss. Not that she minded, of course.

The question was forgotten as they lay there silently several minutes later, Anzu snuggled up to Yami, feeling safe surrounded by his arms again. No longer did she need the love (that was lacking) from her father and stepmother – she had a love of her own that surpassed parental love.

The rain beat against the window, but neither could hear it. They had submerged themselves into their own world again, where only Yami, Anzu and their love for each other existed. Nothing else mattered, or would matter to them. The couple had been blessed with a rare second chance, and both were going to cherish it until their dying days.

A whisper broke the silence, as Yami voiced something that both knew deep in their hearts and would continue to hold in their minds as a symbol of Anzu's remission:

"My immortal."

* * *

Author's Note

You can stop crying now...

So angsty, but I'm happy with it! Not one of my best chapters, but I hope you think it does it justice!

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE TRAGEDY: Stop reading here. This is the end; the next update will be an additional ending for those who don't mind tragedy. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Again, thank you to all my faithful readers!!! I love you all, and I wouldn't be writing if it weren't for you!


	10. Optional Ending: Breathe No More

Author's Note

LAST CHAPTER UP!!! OMG, I can't believe it...I've finished! This is the last chapter people – no more after this!

Reviewers: RoseGoddess874, Red Rose Yuki, Norestar-angel, Himesama16, Seguha, Monkey-fairy, Mariks1andonly, Mya Starnight, Egyptian Rose, The Mad Writer, Little Atemu, C.A.M.E.O, Sahara Gripling, Hysterik-Angel, WhiteDragon235... 

WARNING: If you don't like tragedy, DO NOT READ. This is merely an additional ending for those who don't mind tragedy. Those who wish to leave it where Anzu lives, please DO NOT CONTINUE.

Thank you for reading!

Japanese words: (have to do this)

Kuso shit

Kami God

Nani? What?

Hai yes

Dedicated to: Egyptian Rose, for all her help and support.

* * *

BREATHE NO MORE

He stared at the small mirror in his office, contemplating his reflection for a second. This was the first time it had ever happened, and it had to be **him**. He didn't want to be the one to break the news, but it had to be done. He had been leading her on. Her hopes had been fuelled by an incompetent doctor.

The mirror shattered where his fist connected with it.

"KUSO!" he let out a yell and swept some files off his desk, ignoring them when they hit the floor and scattered. It didn't matter. They were insignificant. They weren't patient files, so he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Kuso!" he yelled again, and kicked his wall, leaving a concave hole where his foot had been. "Kami...no..." Tears started down his face, and he curled up on the floor.

That was where the nurse found him.

* * *

"_I have some news that I think you would like to hear...Your cancer – it's gone into remission. We hope it's permanent."_

_There was silence for a moment as both Yami and Anzu allowed the news to sink in. It opened up a whole new set of opportunities, and she felt as if she had suddenly been given a second chance at life with Yami._

"_It may be to early to tell, but it's still a possibility. We shall run some more tests just to check, but in a few weeks we think you should have regained your strength, and will be allowed to go home. We ask that if you feel any pain, discomfort, or anything unusual, you contact us again." He looked down at some files he held in his hand, and suddenly frowned._

* * *

If only he had realised. He had brushed it off as a figment of his imagination, but it had been true. It had seemed trivial at that point, over the elation of the couple, but now...

But now it was a death sentence.

For the girl.

And him.

* * *

Yami stirred, sensing the presence of another in the room. Anzu was still wrapped in his arms, breathing softly. Her face no longer held the sadness and worry even as she slept; it was now peaceful and innocent. His heart swelled at the thought they had another chance. Destiny had intervened, and they were thankful.

A nurse stood at the bottom of the bed, nervously shifting from one foot to another. Her face held signs of having cried – she had red eyes and there were tears still drying. Her mascara had run, and when her eyes met Yami's they were full of sorrow.

"Forgive us..." she murmured, before approaching the bed.

Yami shook Anzu awake, and she sleepily looked up at the nurse, innocent confusion crossing her face. "Where's the doctor?" she muttered, sitting up with Yami's aid and facing the nurse.

The nurse took a deep breath, trying not to let any tears spill over. "He...We're sorry..."

"Nani?" Anzu asked. "What's wrong?" She was suddenly alert, sensing something wrong.

"The files...they were mixed up..." She couldn't hold them in any longer. Tears ran down her face as she looked at the young girl who would be condemned with a few simple words. She hated this part of the job. "There's another young lady – Anzu Masaki, with an 's'. She – she has a similar condition to you...the doctor – he got the files mixed up..."

Yami growled deep in his throat, and Anzu's hand gripped his arm tightly. "Wha – what are you saying?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. Tears welled up, and she could feel Yami's body go rigid as he absorbed the information.

"You haven't gone into remission...I'm so sorry..." Not knowing what else to do, the nurse gripped her clipboard and hugged it to her chest. "I can't say in words how deeply sorry we are..."

"Where is he?" Yami asked, his voice dangerously low. "The doctor – where is he?"

Tears were flowing freely down her face, and she was no longer able to control the quavering of her voice. "He – he felt so bad – we found him in his office...there was a needle next to his body, with traces of toxins that would have killed him instantly..."

The reality of it hit them. He had committed suicide because of a simple mistake that would have been the world to someone.

* * *

**I've been looking in the mirror for so long,  
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side...**

She touched the mirror hanging on the wall of the doctor's office, her fingers tracing the cobweb of hairline cracks spreading out from the point where his fist had connected with the glass. His body had been removed and his office cordoned off, but Anzu had been allowed to go and sit in there, and look through her files. They felt they owed her something, and her wish had been granted. Yami stood close by, but far away enough to give her some privacy.

Her gaunt reflection stared back at her, betraying her condition. She knew it was over, that there was no more hope. And she wished she were on the other side of the mirror, where it would all be better again, and there would be no more sorrow. She wanted a world of hope, of peace and love, not of regret, anger and hatred. She had seen the side of suffering, and wanted to be away from it.

**All the little pieces falling,  
Shatter...**

As she touched a section of the glass, it broke into tiny pieces and fell, shattering further as it hit the floor.

**Shards of me,  
Too sharp to put back together...**

She knew she was like the mirror. She would break into a million shards, and no one would ever be able to put them back together again.

**Too small to matter,  
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces...**

Each individual piece was insignificant, but together they created a beautiful work of art, and id one piece were to go missing, the whole thing would not be complete. And every day she lost one of those tiny shards from her, and she would continue to lose shards until the day when she shattered.

As another larger piece fell, it cut her hand and brought a line of ruby red drops to the surface of her skin. She no longer felt pain – she had learnt to block it out, as it meant nothing to her any more. She stared at the blood, fascinated. This was her life force, leaking out of her. She had tried to touch her reflection – her soul, and she had been cut.

**If I try to touch her,  
And I bleed,  
I bleed...**

As she nursed her hand, she felt Yami approach.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, knowing it was a pointless phrase, but using it for the sake of conversation.

"Hai," she replied, equally as quietly, feeling it was wrong to speak loudly in such a quiet room. She didn't want to disturb anything. "His name was Kenji."

"What?"

"The doctor. His name was Kenji. Kenji Honami(1). He was single – he dedicated his life to saving people. He no time for love..." She started crying again, and felt Yami pull her into a tight embrace. "I read it in his file..." she said, her voice muffled by Yami's shirt.

**And I breathe,  
I breathe no more...**

* * *

**Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirit's well,  
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child...**

He had no idea how to help her any more. Since she had been given the news, she had been silent again. The only indication that she was still alive was the feeling of her ribs moving in and out as she took breaths, cuddled up to him. All his suggestions (mainly revolving around contacting Shaadi and attempting to seal her soul in a newly blessed Item to be resurrected later...) had been discarded by Anzu, who just wasn't paying attention to anything any more. Yami just had to be content with being with her, just as she was content with his presence. 

**Lie to me,  
Convince me that I've been sick forever...**

She felt as if she'd been ill forever. She couldn't remember the times when she had been healthy, and had had fun with all her friends. She hadn't seen them for ages and was wondering if they even existed any more, or if all of it had been an illusion and hallucination created by a sick and fatigued mind to give her a taste of life without her fatal disease.

**And all of this,  
Will make sense when I get better...**

She knew the only way she would get 'better' was when she left the physical realm. And all the suffering she had gone through – all the suffering she had caused others – would be explained and would make sense. She would be given release.

She could feel herself weakening every minute and knew it wouldn't be long. The news had been a shock to her system and she could no longer resurrect any hope she had previously had and lost. She was resigned to her fate and was inclined to wish it upon herself as soon as possible, rather than having a pitiful life until the day of release.

**But I know the difference,  
Between myself and my reflection...**

Her reflection in the mirror was the opposite to herself, so in theory the reflection would be the 'dead' side of her – the side that had previously been the bubbly, outgoing and cheerful Anzu.

**I just can't help but to wonder,  
Which of us do you love?**

The one thought remained – which did Yami love? Was it the supportive, friendly Anzu, or the gaunt, wasted Anzu that lay in his arms barely able to move? She knew the answer without really having to ask – which was why she wished the end. It would be a relief to Yami, she knew. He was wasting away himself, being there with her and taking no time to look after himself apart from occasionally going home to wash and change and maybe report on Anzu's condition. She would watch over him – ensure that he moved on with his life and forgot about her.

**So I bleed...**

She was suddenly overcome with a violent coughing fit, and pressed her hand over her mouth, rolling to the side so she could breathe easier.

**I bleed...**

Yami's hand ran up and down her back soothingly, trying to calm her fit but to no avail. But when she took her hand away from her mouth, it was red.

Blood dripped onto the sheets, staining them where the drops hit and spread.

**And I breathe...**

"Anzu..." Yami breathed, when he realised what was happening. Before she could say anything, he was up and out of the room, calling a nurse.

**I breathe no...**

Lying back, she realised she wasn't breathing properly. Her breaths were short, and the lack of oxygen was making her feel drowsy. She could hear the heart monitor going crazy, but somehow it was slightly more faint than it had ever been before. The world around her was hazy, and she felt more confused than frightened.

**Bleed...**

His eyes were drawn to her as he and the nurse ran back in, and for a moment he froze. Her eyes were half-lidded; her body limp as she lay on the bed. Her face had paled so much it was almost impossible to distinguish her from the sheets, and his heart tore in two.

**I bleed...**

He knew it was happening. She had shut herself down, waiting for the end.

And his heart bled for her.

**And I breathe...**

Her hand reached out, grasping air until she made contact with Yami's own larger, warm hand. He gripped it, as if he would never let go, and she turned her head to come face to face with his sorrowful expression, accentuated by the tears slowly running down his face. The nurse had left the room, empathically realising that they wanted time alone.

"I love you..." she murmured, the sound of her voice inaudible to anyone but him.

"I love you too...forever..." He squeezed her hand.

**I breathe...**

She took a breath and glanced up at the ceiling. Everything was covered in a white sheen – it hurt her eyes to look at anything for a long period of time. "Take my pendant..."

He shook his head. "It's yours...We can bury it with you..." He stopped, wishing he hadn't said that and refusing to go on.

"No, please," she replied, a small smile gracing her lips and her azure eyes gazing back into his again. "I want it to be my symbol – a symbol of new life, of moving on...and mostly of hope. I don't want everyone to think of me as I am now – I want them to remember the good times."

He nodded hesitantly, smiling as he realised it was her final gift to him, along with her love. And it was then that he knew she would be leaving, not in pain or sorrow or regret, but in love, companionship and eternal support.

**I breathe...**

He moved to pull her into his arms, and she felt safe again. She wouldn't be leaving in a lonely world, but in one that they had created together.

* * *

And it was there that Anzu Mazaki died, in the arms of her Yami, her lover and surrounded by their love for one another. Her eyes closed – a blanket of darkness falling over azure eyes that would never see the light of day again. Her spirit would soar, flying with the angels for eternity, earthbound no more.

**I breathe no more...**

* * *

Author's Notes

(1) I used his name in the Western style of names (surname second) rather than the Eastern style (surname first). So the doctor's first name is Kenji, and his surname is Honami. Sorry for any confusion.

And there we leave it folks. If you want me to write an epilogue (I have it planned out) PLEASE tell me in your reviews, and I shall think about it, taking into consideration how many reviews I get. Boost me up to 100!!

But basically, this is it. The epilogue may contain a little more, but I'm done. I won't write anymore.

Thank you everyone for all your support and reviews, and I hope you enjoyed the ride!!! I love you all!


	11. Optional Epilogue: Angels Fall First

Author's Note

The aim of this story was to remind people of what we take for granted and treasure what we do have. It's also about the flaws of human nature and how we all make mistakes. I hope that you will come away and take a different approach to things you assume will always be there, such as family and friends.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed, and thanks for all the wonderful support you've given me along the way. I hope you enjoy this epilogue, no matter how short it may be compared to the other chapters.

Reviewers: Red Rose Yuki, The Mad Writer, Norestar-angel, Hysterik-Angel, Monkey-fairy, Buffybot76, BlackCharmgirl, Sahara Gripling, Black-Caracal, Ocean's Angel, Seguha, Candle, Egyptian Rose, Disappearing Mist, Blackcat15200...

Dedication: For Li's mum, my Nan and David Killan. You are forever in our memories.

* * *

ANGELS FALL FIRST

**An angel face smiles to me,  
Under a headline of tragedy,  
That smile used to give me warmth,  
Farewell no words to say,  
Beside the cross on your grave,  
And those forever burning candles...  
  
Needed elsewhere,  
To remind us of the shortness of our time,  
Tears laid for them;  
Tears of love, tears of fear.  
Bury my dreams, dig up my sorrows,  
Oh Lord why,  
Do the angels fall first?**

**_- From 'Angels Fall First' by Nightwish_**

* * *

He stood by her grave, the autumn rain dripping down his face, hiding his tears, and washing away his pain. He could imagine her smile, the one that made her angelic even when she had just committed a mischievous 'sin', the warmth emanating from her very being.

It was time to say goodbye to her, to release her. She would always remain in his heart, but a part of him always thought that if there was no goodbye then there was no continuation in the spirit. She would be grounded – her spirit left to roam the earth tirelessly, waiting for release. He blamed it on his Egyptian life – the whole belief in the Afterlife – but he knew there was one...he was living proof, wasn't he? She would be waiting for him there, in the fields of Paradise when he left this world. And that thought was what had brought him here.

There was a cross, covered in white lilies by her grave, and in the small chapel he had lit a candle for her, as another symbol of her release. They would remind others of the shortness of life. His dreams had been buried with Anzu, and the freshly turned earth represented his new sorrows. He bent down and placed a single white rose on her headstone, running his finger along the engraved words silently.

"My angel..." he murmured, before pulling out a simple ankh pendant on a chain from his pocket and pressing it to his lips. It was the one that he had given to Anzu before she died, and the one she had made him promise to keep when she had gone. He would wear it always.

As he moved away into the dusk, he cast one last glance at the words on her headstone – he had chosen them with the help of all her friends. Nothing had been said to her parents after the news of her death – no one wanted anything to do with them.

_Anzu Mazaki_

_1987 – 2004_

_Why do the angels fall first?_

* * *

The pendant was worn close to his heart at all times, its warmth merging with his until it felt as if the ankh had a heartbeat of its own. Deep in the depths, something stirred. A consciousness awoke.

An angel with azure eyes...

* * *

Author's Note

Yes, this is it. I nearly cried when I wrote this, but I hope that it is effective enough. The end isn't a cliffhanger, it is the END. If you feel like writing a continuation, e-mail me for permission or say it in a review and I'll get back to you. Please review, get me over 100!

Again, thanks for everyone's support!


End file.
